Chapter 1: PROLOGUE
Among the best, there must be the best
The best land for the best people
The best people for the best king
The best king for his heart, flawless power
Lords, we call them
The best king of this land
We bow and we obey
Every word we hear, we write
Lord Voliborn, the first
His beloved son, Lord Avotorn, the second
His proud grandson, the third, Lord Varua
Always flow the blood of noble descendants
Lord Voliborn leads with blessings
Lord Avotorn leads bravely
Lord Varua is special, rules with pole
Long live this land rulers
Lords glorious in blood, glorious in merit
Lord Voliborn forges armors for the devil's death
Lord Bumburton holds the key of the black dragon
Lord Zeth resurrects a land from it's death
~~o0o~~
The verse of the poem will continue to grow as the Lord changes who leads the Nefertyland. Their masterpieces would be immortalized and sung by the Nepheel peoples, and lauded by all the inhabitants of the land.
Each Lord would write his own verse in front of people, with gold ink, then it would be echoed on the kingdom tower so that all corners of Neferty would know who had brought this beautiful land to its prosperity.
Lord Voliborn was the first king, to forge the eight holy armor to drive Lucifer out of his land. That's how the verse "Lord Voliborn forges the armor for the devil's death" engraved there.
Lord Bumburton is known as the Dragon Locker, because he is the only creature who has succeeded in locking the Gorgon (the black dragon that existed before the first humans breathed) into a magical cage. The verse "Lord Bumburton holds the key of the black dragon" was added to commemorate his services.
Lord Zeth appears as the figurehead of Neferty's movement. He resolved the complicated feud between Ouros and Nepheel which was almost the size of a hugh war, so that even Nefertyland seemed to die. No wonder if the verse "Lord Zeth resurrects a land from it's death" is heard in a beautiful chant.
The verse had never added since the next Lord ascended the throne. Lord Aaron, Lord Zeth's youngest son, lost his older brother bercause of illness and was appointed the sole ruler of the Neferty kingdom.
There was nothing wrong with that charismatic man, with his long hair and a dazzling nose, for he decreed in the name of wisdom. However, it was during his reign that the biggest war in the history of the Nefertyland broke out. Everyone named it Neferty Great War.
There were more or less nine banners that descended into the battlefield. They do not carry their own names, but fight for two big parties.
Nepheel (the city where the Neferty kingdom stands, also the birthplace of the Lords) against Ouros (the kingdom of dwarves who are too grand, so they don't accept their perfection being seconded). The two giants clashed, taking their armies with them, pouring blood on the ground, full of anger.
At that time, Lord Aaron was sitting on his throne, with a number of people on either side. They were the best wizards, Lord Aaron's personal aide. All eyes in the palace watched warily.
The sky was very dark in color, and the sparks of fire seemed to be racing to reach the sky. They knew that the red smut that devoured at the end of the afternoon was the burning of Nyx forest. The largest forest in Nefertyland.
The goblins are the natives there. They fought in the name of Nepheel, for the wisdom of the Lords had covered their land for so many years.
These creatures were firebenders, and they couldn't help but burn parts of the forest to exterminate the hundreds of orcs who insisted on entering. These orcs—even though King Arganor (the king of Ouros at the time) didn't ask—they offered to defend Ouros. Nobody knows what the purpose is.
From Nepheel, a giant bell was pounded. Lord Aaron jumped up in surprise. Without speaking, they turned to the other side of the palace, gazing at the bustling end of Nepheel city. The drums of war were beating everywhere, with sinister shouts.
Nepheel's soldiers put into position. They were made up of wizards and gnomes who were equally good at casting spells. Despite having blockaded the main city gate with all his might, Nepheel still got hit by a dozen trolls carrying huge bats.
The civilians had been evacuated before dawn, so that the majestic and glorious city was instantly transformed into a battlefield. The huge trolls destroyed the housing, hitting every soldier who was about to cast a spell.
So did the orcs behind them, wielding every defender of Nepheel indiscriminately. The look in Lord Aaron's eyes began to worry. Even before the enemies touched the palace, he began to weigh the steps to anticipate the worst.
"Julius," he said, looking at an aide in a blue coat. "Are they really coming?"
"Certainly, Your Majesty. Our friends will definitely come."
Before long, arrow blades streaked through the air, raining down on the unwary trolls and orcs. The beasts suddenly fell. One of the orcs had pulled out the arrow that had pierced his neck. Shouts of "Damn elves!" jumped out of his mouth just before dying. He was right, the elves had come to help.
The soldiers of light (as Lord Aaron called them) came in legions. They brought with them sharp swords and bows, ready for battle. Nepheel's wizards cheered with joy, then quickly swept past the swarms of orcs and trolls that were about to flee. They were attacked from the front and back, the right and left. Flashes of swords slashed here and there, arrows flew back and forth in the sky, magic and spells swapped places.
One of the Nepheel soldiers worth highlighting in the battle that day was Dolores. A powerful gnome who fights without a weapon, but with spells. He faced a herd of orcs alone.
Not ordinary orcs, but Kauros, the most powerful and violent orc race. And it wasn't just any Kauros he had caught in, but Karn-Omeus, their chieftain. The battle between the two was fierce, it was difficult to guess who would win. Even as Ouros' majestic trumpets buzzed, they still chanted spells.
"Army of Ouros!" Lord Aaron gasped.
Julius was just as shocked. "That means our defenses in Civerdell have been breached!"
"Where's Tarnath?" The Lord looked here and there, trying to find someone. "Where is my personal advisor? I need his advice now!"
"Master Tarnath is on urgent business, Your Majesty." Meryl, Lord Aaron's other personal aide replied.
"What kind of business is more important than defending this kingdom?!" Lord Aaron was furious. "We have to do something."
"What are your orders, Your Majesty?" Julius asked politely.
Lord Aaron was once again monitoring the conditions of the battle outside. He turned back to Julius and sighed. "I will go to war."
"Your Majesty?" Meryl was a little skeptical. "You are the key of this war. Those Ouros dwarves want your death."
"And I will come to them if the situation compels me to do so." Lord Aaron puffed out his chest. "Perhaps, if my ancestral blood is going to end here, then Tarnath is the most suitable one to replace me. Tell him if we don't see each other until I'm out of breath."
"Your Majesty," said another aide, whose eyes narrowed. "I won't let that happen. We will be the first to jump into the city to defend you. Isn't that what it means to be a personal aide?"
"Hector." Lord Aaron smiled, mentioning the name of the aide who had just spoken. "I never doubted your loyalty, nor did the other aides. Julius, Hector, Meryl, Victor. This kingdom will be proud to have had great people like you."
Unknowingly, the battle outside is getting closer to the peak. The elves soldiers were still able to keep up with the strength of the Ouros army, although not a few of them ended badly. Most of the elven warriors died at the hands of Erganor (King Arganor's brother and warlord of Ouros). The dwarves legion itself was beaten back after the elf's sword cut off Erganor's neck.
On the other hand, Dolores was starting to get overwhelmed with magic clashing against Karn-Omeus. Different from him, the orcs were users of black magic. They are good at cursing verbally, and the Karn-Omeus curse is among the strongest. Fortunately, Dolores was able to cast light magic to kill the vicious orc, although his left knee was injured from being hit by a dagger.
The army of orcs and trolls was utterly crushed, the same fate as the dwarves of Ouros. Nepheel's victory swirled in the dreams of his defenders. Dolores smiled, about to celebrate Nepheel's superiority once again. However, a split second later, the sky turned black as night. The entire population of Neferty was stunned.
"What happened?" murmured Dolores.
The goblins also stopped spitting fire from their hands, preferring to look up at the increasingly strange sky. "We lose?" asked their leader.
No one knows what afflicts the firmament, until a thick cloud looms over the Neferty kingdom. Thunder boomed loudly, retorting back and forth, as if a group of giants were fighting. Nepheel who was famous for being beautiful long ago had lost his dignity, becoming a cliff to the darkness.
Incidents like this have been voiced in various poems, at least for Dolores, who is many hundred years old. He had even heard it directly from his father's mouth.
"Gorgon!" he shouted frantically. "Run! Run! The dragon is back!" The gnome warned, even though he was unable to move due to the wound on his leg.
The remaining soldiers in Nepheel chose to retreat. They did not dare to return to the palace, except for only a few. The armies of elves and dwarves who were engrossed in fighting also released their bows and sledgehammers. Everyone wants to save themselves. There has come a disaster greater than the great war, unexpectedly.
From the balcony of the palace which was engulfed in dark smoke, someone opened the door arrogantly. He wasn't Lord Aaron, nor the four aides he was proud of. The figure was Tarnath holding a key in his left hand. A black lock whose sides are full of thorns. Everyone knows what key it is.
"This is the end for the rule of the Lords in the Nefertyland. After this, no one has the right to rule. Not to the stingy and greedy Ouros, nor to any other kingdom. The Nefertyland will submit to one master. This master ... is me. Tarnath, I will be the one who will take over Nepheel.
For those who still want to live, join me. I'm sure no one wants to mess with the dragon of the past." Tarnath laughed in satisfaction. "And, yes. Your beloved lord, Aaron son of Zeth, I have driven him to his death."
(To be continued)
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